Pa. among worst states for ease of voting

A PANEL OF Supreme Court judges will hear arguments Thursday on Pennsylvania’s tough new Voter ID law. The arguments are an appeal of an earlier judge’s ruling upholding the law as constitutional. Those appealing are hoping to see the law thrown out before the Nov. 6 presidential election.

With the passage of the Voter ID law in March, Pennsylvania became one of five states with the most stringent voter identification rules. The law requires a valid photo ID card, such as a driver’s license or U.S. Passport.

For those who don’t have the proper ID, including elderly people who no longer driver or poor or disabled who have never owned a car, the state is issuing photo IDs. However, the process to get them is not quick or easy.

Information sessions are being held throughout the region, and voting rights advocates are volunteering to help people get to Norristown or Shillington driver’s license centers to get the IDs.

Advertisement

The Voter ID requirement is not the only thing that puts Pennsylvania low on the list for voting rights.

An Associated Press report last week stated that an analysis of information from the National Conference of State Legislatures shows Pennsylvania is the most populous state that has not legalized at least one of four processes that other states are increasingly adopting: online voter registration or election-day registration, early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting.

NEW YORK’S move last month to make online voter registration available leaves Pennsylvania among 10 states that do not allow early voting or online or election-day registration, while requiring an excuse from a voter — such as an illness or travel — to cast an absentee ballot, according to the AP report.

Currently, 33 states and the District of Columbia allow voters to cast either a no-excuse absentee ballot or to vote early, by mail or in person, without having to give a reason.

Eight states allow election-day registration. Pennsylvania will cut off voter registration this year after Oct. 9, and the last day to apply for a civilian absentee ballot is Oct. 30.

Fourteen states have approved online voter registration, although three states have not implemented it yet, according to the NCSL.

The Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections, began to explore the concept of online voter registration earlier this year. It dropped the idea after county officials voiced concern that they could not absorb the new process at the same time they are trying educate poll workers about Voter ID, the AP reported.

Creating early voting, no-excuse absentee balloting or election-day voter registration would require action by the Legislature -- the same Republican-majority Legislature that adopted the Voter ID law along partisan lines with no Democrats voting in favor. The law gained even more political edge with the now-often repeated comment by House Majority Leader Mike Turzai that passage of this law would help put Republican Mitt Romney in the White House.

IN 2005, according to the AP report, a 13-member election reform commission empaneled by former Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, recommended unanimously that applications for absentee ballots be accepted through election day. A majority on the panel supported changing the law — and, if necessary, the state constitution — to allow any voter to cast an absentee ballot without conditions. That group did not, however, recommend tougher identification requirements for voters.

At a time when every vote should count, Pennsylvania lawmakers seem intent on making it harder for voters instead of easier.